


Games of the Heart

by monstersandmayhem (queen_morine)



Series: smoke, mirrors, and strings [1]
Category: Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton), Ever After High, Heartless - Marissa Meyer, somewhat inspired by the following:
Genre: #adoptedsiblingsarerealsiblings, And she has 10 younger siblings, BC until she's Queen, Chase is awkward, Darling is a good bro, F/F, F/M, I cannot write romance well, I'm literally just going to peak weird with this version of Wonderland, I'm sorry about the talking pear, Ik this is marked as Alistair/Bunny and Chase/Courtly but those are former relationships, Lizzie's full name is Elizabeth Jaqueline Hearts, M/M, Mirra Bluteng and Blanche Weiss, Multiple Perspectives, alistair hates rules violently and chase doesn't know what to do with that, also in case my character description wasn't clear chase is poc in this, bc this part WILL have a happy ending and can be read as a standalone, blanche has the social skills of a rock, even tho he's a dude, geddit?, grimm frickin sucks in this, he's still gonna be the queen of chess, just cos the source material had very few poc characters doesn't mean fanfic needs to lack diversity, lowkey tim burton's alice inspired?, no bunny slander pls, only read the next parts if you're super invested, she's the Jack, so does snow white, so there's two OCs, the youngest is named Ace, there's minor mostly one-sided dappling, they're a complete suit, this is part 1 of a 3 part series, wonderland is progressive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29332326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_morine/pseuds/monstersandmayhem
Summary: *BEING FULLY REWRITTEN!* (It'll be better, I swear, but this WILL NOT update anymore if I choose to republish the new version as a separate story. If I choose to just edit this existing story, it will still be a looooong time before it updates.)It was a tradition in Chess that, unlike in the United Kingdoms of the Suits, the children of the two reigning monarchs were always raised together as siblings. The first Red Queen, Queen Ruby,  and White Queen, Queen Daisy, truly had been sisters; and when they bore their respective daughters within months of each other they vowed to raise them together as sisters too. Those daughters, Queens Lily and Rose, did the same with their own respective children, and it soon became expected that the Queens and Kings of Chess would come together and raise the heirs to the Red and White thrones together as sisters, even though with each passing generation the biological relation between the two heirs became more and more diluted.This is the story of Chase Redford, the Red Knight, soon to be the Red Queen, of Chess. When the border closing between Wonderland and Ever After shatter his family, Chase is left picking up the pieces and discovers that nothing is as it seems.
Relationships: Bunny Blanc & Kitty Cheshire & Madeline "Maddie" Hatter & Lizzie Hearts & Alistair Wonderland, Bunny Blanc/Alistair Wonderland, Bunny Blanc/the love she deserves from this fandom, Chase Redford & Lizzie Hearts, Chase Redford & Original Female Character(s), Chase Redford/Alistair Wonderland, Courtly Jester/Chase Redford, Courtly Jester/Melody Piper, Daring Charming/Lizzie Hearts, Darling Charming & Chase Redford, Darling Charming/Apple White, Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s), Sparrow Hood/Duchess Swan, Sparrow Hood/Melody Piper, one sided Maddie/Courtly
Series: smoke, mirrors, and strings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177208
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	1. The Boy Queen and the Borders

**Author's Note:**

> So, these first couple chapters are less action and more Chase's introspection so that I can set up some aspects of how this version of wonderland and ever after 'work' so to speak.
> 
> Sorry about that.
> 
> I tried to convey the stilted, overly formal, super dramatic way Chase talked in the show, but idk if I'm really doing it.
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> The setting and characters are property of Mattel.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase, despite being male, was still set to become the Queen and not the King, as in Chess, your title indicates your role. Queens rule; they command. They protect. Kings only serve as the last defense. Kings are only utilized in battle when all else is lost, and are generally useless in terms of battle strategy. For this reason, Queen was a title passed from mother to daughter (or son, in Chase's case), while Kings were simply the chosen partner of the Queens

It was a tradition in Chess that, unlike in the United Kingdoms of the Suits, the children of the two reigning monarchs were always raised together as siblings. The first Red Queen, Queen Ruby, and White Queen, Queen Daisy, truly had been sisters; and when they bore their respective daughters within months of each other they vowed to raise them together as sisters too. Those daughters, Queens Lily and Rose, did the same with their own respective children, and it soon became expected that the Queens and Kings of Chess would come together and raise the heirs to the Red and White thrones together as sisters, even though with each passing generation the biological relation between the two heirs became more and more diluted. 

Blood, they say in Chess, is of far less importance than Love. Chase Redford was grateful for that sentiment. If Chess had not been so adamant against the importance of blood, the Red Queen may not have adopted him. And had that not happened… Chase didn’t know how his life would be. He shifted on his throne uncomfortably, hoping his mother would notice his irritation and break the tense silence that had settled over them, but she didn’t stir.

Chase didn’t much like to think of how things would be otherwise, but given the fact he was trapped in Wonderland, away from his sister, he couldn’t help the dark thoughts. It didn't help that his mother was set on spending her days in uninterrupted silence as of late.

The world had been right the way it was, before. He liked things to be right, to follow a pattern, and to make sense. Chase existing without Blanche, the current heir to the White Throne, as his sister or Scarlet as his mother made the least sense of anything he’s ever considered- and he always has tried to imagine six impossible things before breakfast.

Chase sighed. Even though their world was shattered, Chase had opted to continue practicing his Queenly lessons and strategies. He refused to even entertain the thought of him and Blanche never becoming the Queens they were set to be, and so he simply did what he usually did, as he couldn't think of anything else he _could_ do. Even though it killed him to do it alone.

Chase, despite being male, was still set to become the Queen and not the King, as in Chess, your title indicates your role. Queens rule; they command. They protect. Kings only serve as the last defense. Kings are only utilized in battle when all else is lost, and are generally useless in terms of battle strategy. For this reason, Queen was a title passed from mother to daughter (or son, in Chase's case), while Kings were simply the chosen partner of the Queens.

Chase renewed his focus on the miniature Chess battlefield on his lap, and ran his hands through his bi-colored hair. He stared at the black-and white miniature field, and tried to think of the best strategy he could. The pieces looked foreign in his disconcerted mindstate. He wished Blanche was with him; lessons were more fun with her. She poked fun at all the strict rules of rank and movement in battle, and her lewd jokes about their ‘moves’ would get both of their mothers cackling through their disapproving reprimands.

Despite his attempts to focus, Chase’s attention drifted from his lesson quickly. He gazed at the gilt-framed portraits of the former Red and White Queens that graced the opulent walls of the Queendom’s shared throne room, hoping he could settle into his usual daydream of finally commanding the Red army. His own portrait was being commissioned now in preparation for his Ascension, and Blanche’s was already nearly done.

He’d been trying to use the portraits to silence the roar of his thoughts in his head, but they just brought now-painful memories to the surface.

Chase was forcibly reminded of how his sister had complained about how ghostly she looked in her developing portrait, with her long cornsilk hair and eerie, colorless grey eyes. Blanche, like all the White Queens, looked nearly as albino as her distant cousins, the Blanc family of were-rabbits. The Queens, though, had deep, wide gray eyes in place of the usual Albino red.

Blanche had been so upset over the ‘horror show’ her painting was shaping up to be that that she’d convinced Chase to dye the red streak into his otherwise black hair so it would be a part of his portrait- and help distract guests from her unearthly, (though in Chase’s opinion, still beautiful) looks. Also, though Chase hadn't said so to her at the time, he was pretty sure his naturally black hair, almond-shaped eyes and deep caramel-brown skin-- a far cry from the pale, freckled, and auburn-curled appearances of the former Red Queens- would draw more attention from Blanche's rather sickly appearance than a red streak in his hair or some gems in her crown could. He supposed he was just happy his sister didn't even seem to notice the superficial differences between him and their predecessors.

Still, ever self-conscious, Blanche had opted to put her own subtle eye-catching message in her portrait in case Chase's hair didn’t serve as enough of a distraction. To draw the eye of any clever future Queens from her sickly visage, she’d written her favorite silly Chessian rules in morse code into the pattern of gemstones on her crown.

The rules. Chess had many firm rules, and most of them were ridiculous by both the Suit’s standards and by the standards set in other tales. Even Chase, the Red Prince himself, could admit that some rules were a bit excessive. He understood why the citizens of Hearts scoffed at the notion that Rooks could only move straight, and why those of Clubs couldn’t understand why Knights would only ever move two steps forwards and one step to the side. He still supported the rules, of course- they may have been nonsensical, but they made things interesting- and the nonsensical aspects to them allowed for creative strategies to emerge.

Besides, in a way rules were limits. And without limits, there was everything at once happening. And if everything’s happening, nothing is happening. Limits helped Chase understand the world. He had always appreciated them, though he could recognize their problems. Now though, he wasn’t so sure about the rules. Or the limits. It was the limitations of Chess that had condemned Chase and his mom to their current bleak position. And yet, Chase couldn’t find it in himself to hate the rules.

As silly as some of Chess’s rules were, the tradition of raising the heirs in pairs was a brilliant, logical, practically uncriticizable strategy. Chase understood that first-hand. The Queendoms of Chess were always at war, you see, but the love between the reigning sisters allowed for their constant battles to exist as nothing more than ever-resetting tactical demonstrations. Chase’s love of pattern, logic, and strategy made him sure he’d be a good Queen; between him and Blanche, the battles would be fiercer than ever and unique and creative strategies would emerge every other week, if Chase’s math was right. He may be the first male Queen of Chess, but by the Jaberwock, he’d still be the best Queen Chess had ever seen...

...Just not right now. He couldn’t focus on his lessons. He'd been mad to even try to. He carefully deposited his little model of Chess on the table besides him, and boxed up the game pieces. His mother didn’t even lift her head, her eyes trained on her hands, which were carefully folded around her newest battle plans in her lap. Her heavy golden crown looked precariously balanced on her nest of red curls.

Chase glanced at his mother’s pale, drawn-in form. Even as his eyes raked over her, Queen Scarlet refused to look Chase in the eyes, her sadness and anger palpable. The Red Queen held her emotions in tightly, unlike the Queen of Hearts. Most of the time, Chase admired his mother’s dignified restraint, but today it scared him. He looked back at his lap, and analysed the red and black pinstripes of his formal, Queenly trousers.

The Queens of Chess played their war-like game against each other constantly, and were perpetually discovering the best and most effective ways to win, with the most minimal “losses” they could finagle (by losses, of course, they merely mean when their soldiers are captured by the opposing Queendom and made to stay as guests with them until the battle is won. Unsurprisingly, all loyalties aside, the soldiers do not mind being captured too much.).

The heirs to the thrones participated in battle as well so they could train for their roles as Queens; first they fought as pawns, then ascending to bishops, rooks, and finally knights. Due to this friendly competition between sisters, the United Board of Chess was the most protected and powerful region in all of Wonderland. Chase should be on the field now, trying his best to infiltrate the White territory, dodge his sister’s clever attacks, and capture the White King. The feeling of wrongness tugged at his bones once more.

Glancing back at Scarlet, Chase could see the toll Queen Bela’s absence was having on his mother. The Queens of Chess were simply not meant to do anything but compete and defend. They, despite being confined to the kingdom, were in uncharted territory now. In the past few months, Chase had been unable to ignore the glaring problem this rule of Chess had caused. Chess, with all its focus on internal battles and strong borders, became so closed off that when a strange, insidious poison found its way into Wonderland, the Queendoms were unaware that anything was amiss until it was too late for the citizens to escape into Ever After.

Well, too late for most of the citizens. The White Queen, the benevolent and illustrious Queen Bela Weiss, and her daughter Princess Blanche, had been in Ever After having tea with Queen Snow White when the announcement from sir Grimm had broken: he would be closing off the border between Wonderland and Ever After in two-days time. Bela, having not even been aware of the illness that plagued the neighboring Suits kingdoms, grabbed Blanche and rushed home at once to warn her sister, Queen Scarlet Redford, and Chase of both the plague and the impending closing of the Ever After border.

Quietly, Chase got up and left the throne room, the thoughts of his aunt's failed attempt to get home making his skin feel too tight. He paced the long, black-marble hallways of the Red left-rook castle.

All the rook castles served as homes for Chase and his family, and frequently the moved between them, but him, his mother, and the Red King had all stayed secluded inside this one since the news broke. Chase quickly left the halls, rushing out of the large, blood-red doors of the rook castle and onto the battlefield. He needed to get out of here. He needed to stop thinking of them, and the plague, and everything else.

He needed to, and yet-- All he could think of was them. Bela, of course, who had been practically his second mother. And Blanche, his sister, his best friend, his other half, _his missing piece--_

He _needed_ to stop thinking of this, or he’d wind up madder than the hatter. And mad is no way for a Queen to be. But the lingering effects of his rage weren’t going anywhere. He was furious his mother had decided not to go to Snow’s. He was irate Blanche went even though he’d asked her to stay. He was flitergibblingly _mad_ with rage that Snow hadn’t invited him; too confused by the thought of a boy Queen to acknowledge him.

Chase crushed a red rose beneath his feet as he barreled through the Red gardens, and guiltily ignored its wails. His rage at Snow was quickly feeling _limitless_. Chase felt dangerous. It was Snow's fault Blanche and Bela were trapped in a strange land, and her fault he was trapped in a diseased one.

Snow’s Kingdom was a three-day journey from the border. No matter how quickly Bela and Blanche rode, or how much they spurred the horses onwards with magic and mechanics alike, they couldn’t make a three-day journey in only two. Grimm sealed the door to their world before they had the chance to save Chess.

The only reason Chase knew any of this was because Grimm had, at least, deigned to toss his sister’s hastily scrawled explanation into Wonderland before he sealed the door between their worlds. When Chase ventured out of Chess the next day to search for his aunt and sister he found their letter lying at the base of a Tumtum tree.

That was three months ago.

There had only been one other letter.

Chase pulled his crisp woolen sweater more tightly around himself at the memory of the fearful chill that had run through him when he realized Bela and Blanche couldn’t come home.

Sir Grimm had dumped a large batch of form letters into Wonderland just on their side of the border about two days after he’d officially closed it. The letters explained how he needed to protect his precious Ever After from the ‘Wonderland Plague’, as he called it. Chase was certain that whatever plague was ravaging his world wasn’t born there. Wonderland was wonderful. Nothing so evil could be born from wonder, he was sure.

Chase seethed at the man’s arrogance as he briskly walked off of the Chess battlefield. He was headed straight for the Looking Glass, though he hadn’t consciously set out there. All he knew was that he needed to get out. Out of Chess, out of Wonderland… he didn’t know, nor did he care. He just went, mulling Grimm’s long-since memorized words over in his head.

Despite all the insults and condescension Grimm's letter contained, Chase was grateful for it. Apparently, Lizzie Hearts, the Queen of Hearts’ daughter, had escaped to Ever After at the last possible second. Kitty Chesire (Chase’s aunt Chessy’s kitten), Madeline Hatter, Earl Grey, Bunny Blanc and her cousin Hara March had all escaped with Lizzie and Blanche, too. Of the current generation of Wonderlandian successors, Chase knew only of Courtly Jester, Carolloo Caterpillar, and himself who had been unlucky. Chase was glad to know his sister and most of their friends had been safe, at least.

The letter explained that the escapees had been enrolled in Ever After High. Chase couldn’t help but wince at that. That rule made him almost grateful he hadn’t escaped with his sister. He knew Ever After deemed Wonderland royalty inferior, and he knew Blanche and Lizzie would not take that well. He sincerely hoped they wouldn’t behead or poison anyone. He knew Ever After would take that even less well than his friends would take the disrespect. At least Bela had been hired on as an Ever After High teacher- she’d at least be able to keep Blanche in check if no one else.

Chase also knew Blanche would fight tooth-and-nail to not have to be enrolled in any High School at all. Other than their battle lessons, Blanche and Chase were done with compulsory schooling in Wonderland. Chase even worked as an administrator and Wonderland High sometimes. As Blanche, like him, was already 19, Chase had to assume that Grimm, xenophobic as he was, had deemed the standards of Wonderland’s compulsory education below those of Ever After.

Chase's arrival at the Looking Glass startled him out of his thoughts.

Although the door to Ever After was sealed, Scarlet hadn’t closed the door between Chess and greater Wonderland. This mysterious plague may reach Chess, she had warned, but at least they would not be guilty of unkindness.

Chase couldn’t help but feel distinctly unkind for leaving her as he melted through the glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	2. Of Queens and of Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Chase opened his eyes, he was met with Chessy, the Cheshire cat’s, floating pair. Chessy’s grin came into view next, and the rest of her lavender- furred body slowly filled in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo... 'Chessy' is pronounced as Shesh-ie. I almost named her Cath, like Cat, but I chose not to.

It always took a minute for Chase’s eyes to adjust whenever he went through the Looking Glass. Chess consisted mainly of black, white, grey, and red tones, but greater Wonderland had a much more advanced palette. Iridescent greens, citrus-esque yellows and deep, velvety blues burst across Chase’s vision, temporarily overwhelming him as always. Moving from one part of the world to the other was nausea-inducing at the best of times, and these were not the best of times.He shut his eyes and sucked in a deep breath of the fragrant, tart-scented air.

When Chase opened his eyes, he was met with Chessy, the Cheshire cat’s, floating pair. Chessy’s grin came into view next, and the rest of her lavender- furred body slowly filled in.

Chase couldn’t help but smile. Chessy had been like an aunt to him and Blanche; and Kitty had been like their cousin. He’d fought with Blanche when they were younger about whether Kitty would be her bishop or Chase’s. Kitty had broken that argument up rather quickly by declaring she would never stoop so low as to fight on anyone’s behalf.

“Hello, bloody Prince.” Chessy smiled, her fang-like incisors shining.

Chase’s own grin grew even wider. Chessy was a fan of riddles- particularly when she wanted something. And Chessy asking for help was always rather entertaining; so Chase would certainly do his best to get Chessy talking.

“Hello, my Queen of the cream. How do you fair this brillig day? I should hope you do dream, for all here is not as it seems.” Chase couldn’t be sure where Chessy was going with this riddle, but as she’d called him the bloody Prince, he felt it best to reply in kind.

“I’m afraid the cream is not so sweet. Without Kitty, I shan’t eat. Now that my wain has gone away, we face these banes near every day.” Chessy’s feline ears twitched downwards at that. Whatever she needed from him had something to do with her health- or lack thereof- since Kitty had left.

“This plague, they say, clings to you in every way. If you are to never eat, then how will you preserve your meat?”

“Little Prince, I implore. Please, close your door. I wonder at much, but cannot explore.”

Chase frowned at Chessy’s statement. Though Chessy- and Kitty, for that matter- enjoyed a nice saucer of milk now and again, it was common knowledge that they fed off of Wonder. Chessy had said she wouldn’t eat, and that she couldn’t explore. He wondered if perhaps, in true Chessy fashion, she’d meant the opposite.

This plague, though he had no true knowledge of it, was threatening their world, making all the rights wrong and all the wrongs right. Wonderland, understandably, thrived on Wonder. And if Chessy couldn’t consume the Wonder she needed, then it had been corrupted. And things were going to go very badly very quickly. Chase knew it must, because as much as he loved Chessy, he knew she wasn’t one for selflessness. If she wanted him to close himself and his mother in Chess, well, then the disease was spreading and it would ruin them. Chessy didn’t want that to happen.

The cold hand of anxiety gripped Chase’s heart. He couldn’t riddle with Chessy any more; he needed to know for sure.

“Is it true, Chessy? It’s killing Wonderland?”

Chessy dipped her head.

“Yes, Chase. I’m just happy Kitty got out, and most of the other kids. We’d all hoped you’d have gone through too, darling. I was meant to tell you, but Kitty… she hadn’t wanted to leave. By the time I got her through, Grimm was closing the door.  
“Go to your mother, Chase. Make her close the mirror. Wonderland may be ravaged, but Chess should still stand. The White Queen is safe; the Red deserves to be as well.”

Suddenly lightheaded, Chase sat down on a particularly large mushroom, and worried the sleeves of his red sweater between his fingers.

“Kitty thrives off of Wonder too, though. How will she survive in Ever After?”

Chessy just smiled her mad, beautiful smile again as she leaned against a Tulgey tree; though Chase could see the sadness at the edges of her grin.

“They have a well full of Wonder, Chase. They opened a hole from our world to theirs, the border be damned. I think the damned well is to blame for the illness. But it lets some Wonder through to Ever After. Enough to keep Kitty alive.”

“But the Wonder here in Wonderland is corrupted…”

“I will wonder and marvel at Kitty as long as I live, Chase. I hope you will too. There may not be enough Wonder here to keep me alive for long, but we can make our own. It won’t help me, I can’t wonder at myself, but I certainly can wonder at her enough that she’s got enough Wonder to stay alive.”

“Well, I must say, it’s absolutely awe-inspiring to here you say that. I’ve always thought your fade-in trick was marvelous, but discovering a way to produce untainted Wonder? Why, I can scarcely believe it! It would’ve gone on my ‘impossible things’ list before, but sure it cannot now. I am amazed!” Chase swallowed hard, his heart hammering with anticipation.

Chessy smiled at him gratefully, her fur looking just a bit glossier than it had before. In three quick strides, she was in front of him. She leaned down quickly and kissed his forehead.

“I do not know what you’re after; and I do wish you’d close that door. But no matter what, be safe Little Prince.”

“I don’t know either,” Chase replied. “And I would close the door, to keep mother safe at least. But I am not Queen, and I will never be if Blanche does not ascend to her throne as I do to mine. I will be safe, but I must, somehow, stop this plague. I will bring Blanche home, and Kitty, and all the rest. I haven’t the faintest idea how to cure a plague, or to bring them home, but I’ll find out. And I’ll be filled with wonder in you the whole time.”

“Go, bloody Prince. You may not be a Queen in title, but you are one in soul. And you know, if the monarchy displeases us, we’re big fans of overthrows here in Greater Wonderland- so I expect you to keep your promise about my daughter.” Chessy’s sharp, wild smile was back. Chase smiled in return, got off his mushroom, and headed towards the Tulgey wood with none of the things he’d been trained to rely on.

He had no plan, no strategy, no knowledge. But he knew the impossible, and he knew how to change the impossible into the possible (impossible was simply a time-determined state that affected certain objects or scenarios, he and Blanche had always reasoned).

And most importantly, he knew the plague corrupted their world. And that was the biggest advantage he could ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	3. The Pear and the Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase hadn’t planned his trip in the least, and as such, hadn’t eaten in about three days. Luckily, if you weren’t too opposed to the occasional hallucination, size change, random pockmarked growth, color change, risk of fainting, inability to speak, inability to speak English, being unable to stop speaking, Wonderland had many an edible plant one could feast upon.
> 
> And being on day three of no food left Chase more than willing to accept the risks of eating strange Wonderlandian tree fruit.

Chase had been in the Tulgey Wood for the past three days, and he still couldn’t articulate why it had seemed like a good idea to go through it in the first place. There was… something. Something was drawing him there, and so he’d continue to go forwards, although he was in an exceptionally foul temper due to his confusion, irritation, and general discomfort with literally everything.

His once-shiny black boots were now scuffed beyond belief, and his feet were aching. His sweater looked as though it’d lost a fight with a Tumtum branch (it had- and the fight had been most uncomfortable for Chase as he’d been wearing the sweater at the time), and its usual bright red was obscured with the sickly yellow-pink Tumtum fuzz. Which, of course, Chase was allergic to. His face was red, his nose was running, and his brow had been so furrowed that he had what seemed like a now-permanent headache.

He was going to scream for a beheading louder than the Queen of Hearts if he ever saw Snow White in person.

Still, Chase trudged onwards. He’d been mapping his path as he went in the hopes he could find his way back to Chess again, but he feared this activity may have been in vain. Chessy had alleged that the plague changed the fundamentals of Wonderland into, if not their opposites, at least their most unpleasant adjacents. The Wonder, she’d said, had been tainted; so Chase was certain it had not become it’s direct opposite, which was Terror. He was glad of that, as Terror was most unpleasant, but it also was inconvenient in a different way. Whatever the Wonder had become, it was something dark and twisted; and dark and twisted Wonder could certainly lead to dark and twisted paths.

All Chase could do was hope the disease wouldn’t find the wood while he was still journeying onwards or backwards.

Chase hadn’t planned his trip in the least, and as such, hadn’t eaten in about three days. Luckily, if you weren’t too opposed to the occasional hallucination, size change, random pockmarked growth, color change, risk of fainting, inability to speak, inability to speak English, being unable to stop speaking, Wonderland had many an edible plant one could feast upon.

And being on day three of no food left Chase more than willing to accept the risks of eating strange Wonderlandian tree fruit.

Chase was, however, not prepared to eat something that was alive and speaking, so his day was about to get even worse.

“Unhand me, you foul fool!” the ripe Wonderlandian pear (that Chase had just been about to eat) screamed at him.

“Sorry, sir Pear… I had assumed that you were alive, but I had not known you were sentient. Or articulate.”

“Should you eat any fellow who is not sentient or articulate? I should not! And I was raised and reared in the wiles of the Jungle! Who raised you, boy? Who created your cruelty?”

“I’m sorry sir, I would not eat just anyone who is not sentient or articulate. In some cases, were I to eat someone who was neither of those things but still of my species, I would be committing cannibalism, which is rightly frowned upon in our society. I had chosen to eat you as I figured you were neither sentient nor articulate, and because I’d know you were not even distantly a relative, but I now see my logic was lacking.

“And sir, I was raised by the Red Queen of Chess, and I do apologize on my own behalf and hers for attempting to eat you. I haven’t eaten anything in three days, you see, and my judgement I fear has been lapsing.”

The pear’s attitude changed drastically at that.

“My boy, you haven’t eaten for three days? Why, of course you must go forth and rectify this at once! Please, desecrate the mushrooms! They’re horrible neighbors, you see, and are so enthralled by their label of being the ‘fun guys’ that they throw all sorts of parties, and cause all sorts of folks like yourself to shrink and to grow… Say, Red Prince, are the mushrooms really necessary for the Alice tale you must enact for Ever After anymore? I swear, it’s the only reason we haven’t forced them out of Wonderland… if they’re not needed anymore, do send them away.”

Chase was beginning to distinctly dislike this pear.

“Yes, the mushrooms are essential to the Alice story, sir Pear. The Alice must eat parts of them to regulate her size during the story.”

“But surely, we do not even need to repeat the story. Ever After turned their backs on us; why should we continue to do this favor for them?”

Privately, Chase agreed with this. The Alice story had always bothered him; as whoever the current Alice was, she was raised by the former Alice in simple, unmagic London, and was never told Wonderland existed. And then, when she was eighteen years old, she would catch sight of the current White Rabbit running around her favorite spot in her city, she would follow them, and they would lead her down the ‘rabbit hole’ (which was truly a portal to and from London that the members of the Blanc family could make at will) to Wonderland, where she would be insulted, her size would change, and she’d be expected to slay whoever the current Jabberwock was during a battle between the Red and White Queens.

Though Jabberwocks don’t stay dead (or feel pain), the Alice was never told this, and was forced to kill with no mercy. The Alice also never knew that the Red Queen was not some vile, wicked soul, and that the Red and White Queens always loved each other. Even though it was (though again, the Alice didn’t know this) just a reenactment of that time hundreds of years ago when the first Alice had come, Chase hated it. He knew he’d despise playing the part of a cold, cruel, and vindictive ruler. He’d hate calling for the execution of some poor human he barely knew. And him and Blanche both hated the idea of their final battle.

Ages ago, about a generation after the original Alice had fallen down the first rabbit hole, Ever After had opened the border to Wonderland, and watched as Wonderland began to depend on certain people, examples, or materials from Ever After. After fifty years of open borders, Ever After demanded retribution. This retribution came in the form of forcing Wonderlandians to reenact the visit of the first Alice every generation- no matter what. If Wonderland did not comply, the border would close. The Queen of Spades at that time had fallen in love with the current Huntsman- an Ever After citizen. She was distraught with the idea of the border closing, and as the other Suit Queens, as well as the Chess Queens, were also becoming used to the open borders, and so they agreed to Ever After’s terms.

All that Wonderland had sacrificed for Ever After, and still. The moment Wonderland was in trouble, Grimm still closed their border anyway. His letter even made it clear that the story of Alice was still expected to be completed this generation, circumstances notwithstanding. That was mainly why he’d ensured so many students made it to Ever After, Chase was certain.

Chase wouldn’t tell any of this to the very rude pear, of course. Rules were rules, and Chase wasn't going to change them. But he still thought it. He sighed, and returned his focus the pear that was still in his hands.

“Sir, whether or not the mushrooms were essential to the story of Alice, and whether or not we even continue the story, the mushrooms are citizens of Wonderland. And we cannot commit genocide against them, no matter how terrible of neighbors they are.”

“What’s the point of having royalty if the monarchs won’t even evict your horrid neighbors once in a while?” the pear grumbled, its smooth, unblemished, green skin wrinkling in displeasure.

Gently, Chase set the pear at the base of the tree he’d plucked it from. He’d have to continue through the wood without eating, he supposed. He’d try to make it to the Queen of Heart’s castle; she’d certainly share her tarts. He hoped. Even if she didn’t, Ms. Hearts would likely know more about the plague at least; the gossip that she was. And any bit of knowledge would help Chase. He mentally looked over what he knew for sure:

\- A plague was killing his home  
\- Ever After had closed the border to protect itself  
\- Most of his friends were gone  
\- The Wonder was tainted  
\- He could produce his own Wonder

Chase sighed. He had his work cut out for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	4. Of Cages and Carriages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bela thought of Ever After as a gilded cage in the most literal sense, too. The glitzy and performative kindness Grimm extended to them was truly just a cover for something far more unsightly. Grimm closed the door to her home, but insisted that to put a roof over her and Blanche’s head in Ever After, she must teach at Ever After High. They needed a Damsel-in-Distressing teacher, apparently, and feeling like she had no other choice, Bela agreed to teach the class. Blanche had already completed high school, and so Grimm had forced her into being the TA for the Chemythstry class in exchange for room and board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter, sorry. Darling's gonna be pretty important later on, as is the white Queen, so I need to do some set-up for them. I was initially gonna do this all from Chase's perspective, but he's actually pretty hard for me to write, so I put Darling and a few other in as perspective characters. Also Blanca is now Blanche, sorry. I've edited the other chapters.

Queen Bela of the White Sect of Chess was not having a good time. She knew, were her sister Scarlet here with her, that she’d be getting reprimanded for all sorts of tactical failings; she knew she didn’t listen to her gut about Snow’s out-of-the-blue invitation, she knew she put herself into unfamiliar territory without a plan, and she knew she didn’t adequately prepare for the possible need to escape… She knew she had failed. Sge didn’t need her imaginary sister to tell her that. She’d much prefer the real Scarlet to tell her so.

But, of course, she couldn’t. Because she had made every mistake she’d been trained to avoid and gotten herself and her daughter trapped in what was quickly looking like enemy territory. Though Blanche and Bela had been in Ever After for three months, it was no closer to feeling like the home Grimm had sworn it would be to them. How could it? Ever After was an impossibly gilded cage that only Grimm held the key to.

She thought of Ever After as a gilded cage in the most literal sense, too. The glitzy and performative kindness Grimm extended to them was truly just a cover for something far more unsightly. Grimm closed the door to her home, but insisted that to put a roof over her and Blanche’s head in Ever After, she must teach at Ever After High. They needed a Damsel-in-Distressing teacher, apparently, and feeling like she had no other choice, Bela agreed to teach the class. Blanche had already completed high school, and so Grimm had forced her into being the TA for the Chemythstry class in exchange for room and board.

As they’d gone for that fateful trip to Snow White’s Castle back in June, neither Bela nor Blanche had not yet had to actually teach. The school year ended in late May, and began in September, so her first lesson would be…

...in an hour, it looked like.

She was beginning to regret her stubborn choice to not prepare for her new job in the least over the summer. She’d just have to go with her gut this time. As the Queen of a perpetually combative region, she did know a thing or two about being a damsel in distress. Strategy could be quite distressing, after all. So could trying to one-up your sister. And technically, in Ever After’s backwards society, all women were damsels. Yes. She could do this. She was perfectly prepared!

As for going with her gut, that could make the basis for this first lesson. She’d certainly learned the importance of listening to your instincts first-hand. She’d make sure these girls didn’t make the same mistakes as her. But how to frame the lesson? Well, battle command was a good place to start. Yes. Battle command worked perfectly. The most distressing situation Bela could think of was having a knight try to capture your husband, so in order to mitigate the distress, she’d teach all the young damsels her favorite evasive maneuvers using that situation as an example.

Maybe she’d actually be good at this! Scarlet would be impressed with her, she as sure. Things were starting to look up for her; maybe she at least could do some good for these students while she was trapped in Ever After.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Charming Carriage was approaching Ever After High at a much quicker pace than two of its occupants wanted it to. Darling Charming, with her smooth tan skin, her crystal-blue eyes, and her long white-blonde and blue curls was the picture of beauty, but she could not have ever felt more ugly inside. Her brother Daring was smiling exceptionally widely at his reflection in his favorite hand-mirror, and prattling endlessly on about how great he is, his girlfriend is, school is, he is, book ball is, and his looks are. Drumming her manicured nails on the plush interior, Darling, not for the first time, wished she’d been blessed with a useful power at birth. Like, making annoying people spontaneously combust would be nice; instead of her whole hair-flipping-to-stop-time thing.

Actually, that wasn’t true. Darling didn’t want to actually hurt Daring- permanently, anyway- and her ability to stop time for brief periods was pretty much the only thing that she liked about herself. Sensing her distress, Dexter caught her eye in the reflection of the window.

Darling was- unsurprisingly- starting off the school year in an even more foul mood than Dexter was. Dex hated school, naturally, because their classmates were horrible. But Darling would argue that she had it worse. Dex may be discouraged from his intellectual and academic pursuits, but at least he was permitted to engage in them at all. Darling could never be so lucky. And, if any of her friends knew that she’d rather slay dragons than slay makeup looks, well, she’d be more friendless than Dex was. Darling loved her friends, she did, but she wished they were a bit more… open minded? Creative? Kind?

Whatever-after. At least, for all their faults, her friends were guaranteed to pass notes with her during Damsels-in-Distressing, which was easily Darling’s least favorite class. Figures she’d have it first thing on her first day back at school.

At least Rapunzel had retired. The woman had absolutely loved being distressed, and being rescued, and being generally useless.

Darling didn't know who’d replaced her, but she was sure whoever it was couldn’t be worse.

She sighed as the carriage pulled up at the gates of Ever After High. Smoothing her intricately embroidered blue-and-silver (too-formal-for-school) minidress (that her mother had insisted on), Darling mentally prepared herself to enter the towering, imposing, golden gate.

Carefully, Dexter opened the door of the carriage and stepped down. He held his hand out to Darling, who graciously accepted it as she ascended to the ground. She could have gotten out of the carriage on her own, but no. Ever After custom is to make sure women and girls are as infantilized as humanly possible in whatever mundane tasks they’re actually allowed to partake in.

It wasn’t Dexter’s fault, of course, but Darling couldn’t help the twinge of resentment she felt at being denied the chance to even help herself down from the carriage.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a loud and obnoxious trumpet blast.

“HEAR YE, HEAR YE PRINCE DARING CHARMING AND PRINCESS DARLING CHARMING HAVE ARRIVED!”

Darling winced. They’d forgotten to announce Dexter again. As much as Darling hated that they were announced at all, she felt horrible Dexter wasn’t acknowledged. He claimed not to care, but Darling knew it must sting.

The girls cheering for Daring’s arrival and forming a small crowd around them couldn’t help either. Darling swore Meeshell Mermaid was about to hyperventilate from how loudly she was screaming about her love for Daring.

“OH, AND IT APPEARS PRINCE DELIRIOUS CHARMING ARRIVED WITH HIS SIBLINGS TOO.”

Darling had heard enough by that point. Grabbing Dexter’s hand, she marched to the Ever After gates; discreetly kicking the announcer in the shin with one of her pointy-toed blue heels as she passed him.

“Don’t worry about it, Dex,” Darling said under her breath, releasing his hand once they were safely within the walls of the school; far from Daring and his throng of admirers.

“Hard not to,” he muttered. “I swear, the fact even Grimm knows I exist enough to assign me a room surprises me sometimes.”

“Speaking of, who’re you rooming with?” Darling asked, in a bid to change the subject.

“Hopper; you?”

“Duchess, unfortunately.”

“Ouch.” Dexter winced in sympathy for his sister.

“Yeah, pretty much. I’d actually better go claim my dorm before she turns my side of the room into practice space.”

Darling waved at Dex, and grabbed her bag from the Doormouse valet who had followed them in. The exertion from carrying her bag up two flights of stairs would hopefully help calm her enough that she wouldn’t snap and make a fool of herself in Damsels class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	5. Destiny and Devastation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ms. Weiss was dressed in brilliant, effervescent, silver-white, pearl-studded armor. Real, proper, warrior's armor. Sure, the armor was only present from the waist up, and Ms. Weiss wore a rather frilly white skirt with it, but it was still the mark of a true warrior. And she didn't look the slightest bit self-conscious about wearing what was in Ever After traditionally menswear, though Darling knew she could hear her classmates whispers. The class only improved from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the lil tiny bit of dappling I mentioned in the tags

3 minutes into Damsels class and Darling could definitively say for the first time in her life that she was glad she hadn’t bothered to skip it.

She'd walked over to class with Duchess, who was entirely as horrible as Darling knew she'd be, but at least she had gotten some more information on their new teacher. It almost made the fact that Duchess did, unsurprisingly, install a barre on Darling’s side of their dorm worth it.

Darling had initially planned to duck off to the bathroom before they reached the DID classroom, but something Duchess had said gave her pause. Apparently, the White Queen was to be their new teacher. She was just curious enough about her to show up to class.

The second they stepped into the classroom, she knew she'd made the right choice

Ms. Weiss was dressed in brilliant, effervescent, silver-white, pearl-studded armor. Real, proper, warrior's armor. Sure, the armor was only present from the waist up, and Ms. Weiss wore a rather frilly white skirt with it, but it was still the mark of a true warrior. And she didn't look the slightest bit self-conscious about wearing what was in Ever After traditionally menswear, though Darling knew she could hear her classmates whispers. The class only improved from there.

Darling practically swooned as Ms. Weiss flicked her long, white braid off of her shoulder with the grace and ability of a fencer. As she claimed her seat next to Apple and behind Poppy, her eyes never left the teacher. Darling felt like she was staring at the manifestation of her dreams. At her deepest, darkest, hopes. At her ideal self.

She could feel Apple's curious gaze on her, undoubtedly due to her unusual levels of excitement for a DID lesson, but she didn't turn her head. This was too hard to explain, especially to Apple of all people. Darling could still see her lovely golden curls out of the corner of her eye, though, and the reminder of Apple’s proximity drew some of her focus away from the White Queen. She mentally decided ask Apple after class if she was still considering dying her hair black. Darling hoped she wouldn't.

"Hello, Damsels." Ms. Weiss addressed the class; her wine red lips curving into a calculated smile.  
"I'm so looking forward to teaching all I know about being a damsel in distress." Based on her face, Darling suspected that phrase meant something different to the teacher than it did to the class. And she couldn’t be happier about it.

It was apparent quite quickly that Ms. Weiss was as amazing as she seemed, and if Darling ~~wasn’t enamored with her brother’s girlfriend to the extent everyone else paled in comparison~~ a perfectly normal, definitely straight, totally-focused-only-on-her-destiny type of person, she’d be a little bit in love with her. She was everything Darling wanted to be, hoped she'd be, and knew she never could be.

But the brilliant thing about Ms. Weiss was that for one blissful second, she'd made Darling believe that maybe she could be a warrior like her, at least a little bit.

The lesson had started off normally. Ms. Weiss introduced herself, explained that she was here from Wonderland due to the border closing, and that she, despite not being recognized as ‘true royalty’ in Ever After, was deemed capable enough of running the class in Rapunzel’s absence.

“I trust you all know what it’s like to be distressed, girls?” she’d started off by asking.

The class nodded along, a few girls shrugging.

“...Can you give me any examples?”

“Well, being poisoned will be very distressing for me, I’m sure.” Apple surprised exactly no one by being the first to answer the question.

What did surprise the class was that Ms. Weiss wasn’t happy with Apple’s answer.

“Yes, Apple, I’m sure that would be distressing. However, Headmaster Grimm seems to take the ‘destiny’ concept quite seriously, and therefore I feel as though I can’t teach how to either avoid getting poisoned or to mitigate the distress being poisoned will cause you. I’m asking more about other distressing, non destiny-related situations. Like being chased by wolves! Or protecting your husband from being captured by your sister!”

Apple just blinked. All the girls stared at the two, enraptured. Briar sat up a little straighter; probably excited by the idea of running from wolves. Darling wasn’t the only one convinced that this was the most interesting lesson they’d ever had.

“But, Ms. Weiss, our destinies are meant to be distressing. Why would you teach us how to mitigate distress at all? Rapunzel always taught us how any situation could be distressing, and how you can distress yourself even more thoroughly than your prince Charming expects!”

Ms. Weiss just smiled at Apple, albeit more sadly than she had before.

“Apple, darling, I don’t want to speak ill of my predecessor, but the focus of a class called ‘Damsels in Distressing’ should certainly be mitigating distress, not causing it. It simply does not make sense to cause unnecessary distress. Being overly distressed can cause you to lose control of critical scenarios, you see. I’m afraid that I’ll be teaching differently than Ms. Rapunzel did, girls.”

Apple squirmed in her seat, clearly torn between wanting to argue with the teacher and wanting to be a good student.

“I guess, if we’re not meant to be talking about how to cause distress, or how to mitigate it in relation to our destinies, then a situation that’d be distressing could be… Falling down a well.”

Darling wasn’t expecting Apple’s answer. First, she was surprised Apple had simply let Ms. Weiss continue to teach the lesson as she’d insisted it was meant to be taught. And the example scenario she gave clearly had some importance, too, though Darling could not understand why.

Ms. Weiss was thrilled with the example, though, and showed no sign of surprise at Apple’s sudden compliance.

“Yes, Apple! Perfect! Okay, to mitigate the distress of falling down a well, what might you want to do?”

“Follow your destiny so that nothing unscripted happens and you can have your guaranteed happily ever after?”

Ah. There it was. That was the Apple that Darling knew.

“Well, Apple, you could do that. Or, you know, you could avoid wells, to start. And if you needed to go fetch water from the well, you could come up with a pulley system, perhaps, that could help you draw the water from a safe distance from the well’s edge.”

Apple blinked her big blue eyes again; her brow furrowed in confusion. Darling swallowed hard.

Ms. Weiss sighed. “Okay, I think I know how to explain this.” she walked over to the chalkboard and began to draw a well.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Apple. You want to mitigate distress by experiencing distress under controlled scenarios only, allowing you to remain in control enough to guarantee an outcome. Am I right?”

Apple nodded, clearly pleased that Ms. Weiss seemed to understand.

“Do you remember how I said that working to mitigate distress in all situations can allow you to remain in control during critical points?”

Apple nodded again.

“Okay. While your logic looks sound, I want to see if it holds up. Well, I want you to think about what I’m going to say very carefully. Is it distressing for you to imagine a world where there are no destinies, or a world where your destiny is somehow compromised?”

“Of course.” Apple frowned.

“Then, you aren’t as in control of your life as you think you are by hanging all your happiness and safety on your destiny. What if something happens and your destiny fails? Before it goes into effect, any number of things could happen, and render your destiny impossible. Although Grimm insists that the Alice story will play out this generation, the unexpectedness of the plague makes me fear that my daughter may not get her destiny. And if that happens to you, well, what are you going to do? By putting all your faith into destiny, you are unprepared for anything else. You are vulnerable. If you expect to not die simply because your story dictates that you have an essential role in it, you're unprepared to deal with common situations, like falling down wells.” She drew an 'X' through her sketch on the board.

That made sense to Darling. For once, she was starting to feel normal for constantly questioning the whole concept of destiny, legacy day, and everything else.

Apple clearly did not agree.

“If I have a destiny to fulfill, nothing will happen to me! That’s how it works!”

“Apple, I wish it were. But again, my daughter and my nephew have destinies to fulfill, and as of now, I can’t see how they can be fulfilled with Blanche here and Chase trapped in Chess.” Darling could see the beginnings of frustration starting to show on Ms. Weiss’s face.

“Well, maybe it’s because you broke the rules, Ms. Weiss.”

“What are you talking about, Apple?”

“The Red Queen was meant to have a daughter, but she chose to adopt a son. You probably both broke your story; her by choosing a son, and you by letting her. There’s no way destiny can work if you deliberately change things!”

“Out.”

“What?”

“Get. Out.” Ms. Weiss’s mouth was a thin red line and her eyes were hard and cold.

Apple got up quickly, turned on her heel and ran out of the classroom, sobbing softly. Briar and Darling quickly got to their feet and turned to Ms. Weiss.

“Yes. Go, girls. I apologize, class. Life has been hard since the borders closed; particularly because of Chase’s absence. I shouldn’t have taken it out on Apple, though.”

Darling walked towards the door as Briar grabbed their bags. There wasn’t much of the lesson left, anyway.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They found Apple in the school gardens, sobbing. Briar rushed to her side instantly, dropping the bags and falling to her knees to embrace her friend. Darling hung back, the old feelings of awkwardness surfacing again. She batted them away. Apple needed her.

“Shhhhh…. Shhhhh… It’s okay, Apple. We’re here now.” Briar held Apple tightly as Darling sat down besides them. Gradually, Apple’s breathing began to regulate and her tears slowed.

“Do you… want to tell us what happened?” Darling asked. “Where you just mad she sent you from class, or because of the whole… destiny thing?”

Apple sucked in a shuddery breath.

“When I was six, I fell down a well.” Darling wasn’t expecting that, but at least it explained the seemingly-random example she’d given the White Queen in class.

“I’d clung to a protruding brick on the side for what felt like forever before someone finally heard me scream. I thought I was going to die.” Apple rubbed at her eyes before continuing. There were black smudges on her palms when she pulled her hands away.

“When I went home and told my mom how scared I was she told me that as soon as I sign the Storybook of Legends, a magical contract enacts that makes everything go according to plan. And she told me she had, since our destiny is the most important one, convinced one of the three guardian fairies from your tale, Briar, to put a protection spell on me so I cannot die by any means except for Raven’s poison apple. I literally owe my life to my destiny, and I always will.”

Privately, Darling thought that by putting an extra spell on Apple, Snow White had already bent destiny to her will, and therefore kind-of disproved the whole ‘you were chosen for something important, so of course you’ll be fine’ thing, but she didn’t say so aloud.

“Living in fear’s no way to live, though, Apple.” Briar said. “You’ve gotta live life for yourself while you can’t; do what you want now. Because even if your destiny keeps you alive, you won’t be able to live for yourself.”

Darling wasn’t sure where Briar was going with this, but she was at least 90% sure Apple wouldn’t like it.

“C’mon, guys. I have something to show you.” Briar got to her feet and helped Apple to hers. Darling just sighed.

She had a feeling Briar’s half-cooked plan wouldn’t end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	6. Of Wells and Well-Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darling wasn’t someone who enjoyed being right. She was an eternal pessimist, so whenever she predicted something would go terribly wrong, she prayed to whatever jerk-of-a-higher-power that was out there that she’d be wrong.
> 
> Unfortunately, Darling was right more often than not. Standing at the edge of the Well of Wonder, she had a sinking feeling that she’d been right about how Briar’s ludicrous plan would probably make everything worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is SO SHORT sorry, but the next chapter is gonna be reallllllly long, so I'm posting this to get it out of the way.... I really should've posted this as part of the prior chapter, but oh well. Too late now.

Darling wasn’t someone who enjoyed being right. She was an eternal pessimist, so whenever she predicted something would go terribly wrong, she prayed to whatever jerk-of-a-higher-power that was out there that she’d be wrong.

Unfortunately, Darling was right more often than not. Standing at the edge of the Well of Wonder, she had a sinking feeling that she’d been right about how Briar’s ludicrous plan would probably make everything worse.

Why Apple had agreed to lower Briar down into a well to prove that ‘everything will be fine’, Darling didn’t know. Darling  _ did  _ know that, whether she admitted it or not, Briar was using their friend’s sadness and fear as an excuse to try another risky, daredevil-worthy stunt. 

Apple and Darling watched in fascinated horror as Briar tied the rope (that apparently she just perpetually kept in her book bag) around her waist. Briar unceremoniously tossed the other end of the rope to them, and Darling caught it.

“Hold it tightly, ‘kay?” Briar said. Darling just nodded, feeling sick.

“Why in the world are you letting her do this?” Darling asked Apple.

“I just… I want to be a good Queen. The White Queen is as mad as every other Wonderlandian, but she’s right in that it’s best to be in control, especially when you’re a leader.” 

Darling cringed a bit at that; Apple’s easy dismissal of the Wonderlandians had always been hard for her to stomach. They may not care much for destiny, but The Wonderlandians were so  _ happy  _ that Darling couldn’t help but respect them.

“And that I don’t feel very in-control when I’m scared.” Apple continued, oblivious to Darling’s moment of discomfort. “Maybe if Briar goes down and comes up okay… I won’t feel so scared? And I can depend on myself to keep control; not just destiny? And then I’ll be more effective when it comes time for me to rule.”

“If you’re sure, then.”

Darling walked closer to Briar, and gripped the rope about nine feet from Briar’s waist. She dug her heels into the ground as Briar began to clamor over the well’s edge. She could feel as the rope suddenly went taut as Briar fully lowered herself into the well.

“You alright, Briar?”

“Fan-freaking-tastic! This is so hexciting!” Briar called up in response. “The Wonder-Water keeps lowering itself, so I’m not even wet!”

“Okay, that’s cool, she’s okay, can you pull her up now?” Apple’s breaths started coming in quick and short.

“Alright. Briar, I’m pulling you up now!” Darling called out.

“Booo! You guys are no fun.” Briar’s head popped up at the rim well. Darling’s arms were aching with effort as she struggled to keep her friend from falling.

Quickly, Briar managed to hoist herself back onto solid ground, and Darling released the rope. Apple charged full-speed to Briar, tackling her into a hug. Darling trotted after her; also relieved Briar hadn’t fallen to her death. She was relieved that she’d been wrong. Nothing bad had happened, and maybe this really would help alleviate some of Apple’s anxiety.

Her relief was short-lived.

Darling’s temporary euphoria at the fact Briar made it up safely clouded her usually strong reflexes. The rope, forgotten and discarded on the ground, tripped Darling as she rushed towards her friends. Stumbling, she tried to catch herself, but her overcompensation ended with her pitching so far forwards that she fell head-first into the Well of Wonder. 

The last thing Darling heard before she was submerged in icy well water was Apple’s screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	7. The Rules and the Rabbit Holes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunny Blanc had never quite fit in. One would think, in Wonderland, that 'not fitting in' would be the best way to live, but that wasn't the case for Bunny. She was friends with the other Wonderlandians of her generation, of course, but she still never fit. Her father said that was because the Blanc's weren't simply of Wonderland the way the other families were. With the ability to create 'rabbit hole' portals to and from unmagic England, the Blancs were effectively from 'both here and there and everywhere', to put it simply. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up splitting this chapter into 3(!) parts, so expect the other two soon, I guess. Sorry to any bunny/alistair shippers btw.
> 
> Also, we're just not gonna acknowledge the fact that Alistair's last name is Wonderland in canon. nope. he has a last name in this fic that will never come up, but it's certainly not Wonderland.

Bunny Blanc had never quite fit in. One would think, in Wonderland, that 'not fitting in' would be the best way to live, but that wasn't the case for Bunny. She was friends with the other Wonderlandians of her generation, of course, but she still never _fit._ Her father said that was because the Blanc's weren't simply of Wonderland the way the other families were. With the ability to create 'rabbit hole' portals to and from unmagic England, the Blancs were effectively from 'both here and there and everywhere', to put it simply. 

And sure, Bunny was mad. Everyone who lived in Wonderland was at least little mad. But that Wonderlandian madness was tempered by English sensibility, and though the other kids were kind, they never quite managed to understand Bunny. Even her distant cousin Hara March struggled to understand her plight. And as a result, she spent her childhood mostly alone.

She'd tried to befriend Maddie first. Madeline Hatter was blessed with the rare Wonderlandian ability to do anything as long as she didn’t know or believe it was impossible. Bunny had been in awe of her, and spent many an hour trailing Maddie; testing the limits of her ability and trying to find the parameters of her ability, and trying to define impossibility in relation to Maddie.

Maddie never told Bunny she was being a bother, but she figured it out anyway. Maddie loved simply enjoying things; she didn't feel the need to dissect them; figure out _why_ things worked, or how they worked, or to what extent they would work. She simply appreciated them.

Bunny wished she could be that way.

Next, Bunny had tried befriending the twin heirs of Chess. Blanche and Chase were both analytical, calculated, and they loved strategy- which were three traits Bunny respected. Blanche even loved trying to figure out how and why things worked like Bunny did, though she focused on physical machinery while Bunny preferred abstract concepts. Blanche could- and would- disassemble and reassemble a pocket watch all while Bunny ruminated on what time truly _was._ But the real problem was that Blanche was both cold and quiet. 

Bunny loved to talk things through; communicate her way to understanding. Blanche preferred silence, and so she had not warmed much to Bunny. Their interactions were always awkward, and Blanche never made a move to alleviate the tension.

Chase was warm; much warmer than his sister. And he was happy to talk to Bunny- about some things. He loved coming up with intelligent abstract strategies and concepts (usually tied to battles, of course), which Bunny did as well. But while Chase loved strategy, he disliked critical investigation. When Bunny had inquired about why some of the rules of Chess existed, Chase had balked. Chase may have been kind where his sister was cold, but he was closed off where she was curious. 

The two balanced each other nicely, and Bunny simply didn't fit into their little equation.

Bunny had also tried, to no avail, to befriend Lizzie Hearts. Lizzie, used to getting whatever she wanted with just a yell, could never understand Bunny's need to explore and discover things for herself. Lizzie simply asked for things, and if she did not get them, she threatened execution. Bunny would be lying if she said that that particular habit of Lizzie's didn't also make her uncomfortable.

She didn’t even bother trying to get to know Kitty Cheshire.

Disillusioned with herself, her social skills, and the fact she wasn't a 'true' Wonderlandian, Bunny decided that she could have fun by herself. At age eight, she began to put all of her focus on her abilities; and frequently practiced both creating rabbit holes and transforming into her rabbit form. Honing her mind and her body, Bunny was happier than she'd ever been trying to make friends.

Until she wasn’t.

She wanted more.

She wanted to see the world beyond Wonderland, and find her place. She was sure, somewhere, that there was a place where she truly fit.

So, on her tenth birthday, Bunny opened a rabbit hole to England and hopped through.

She stayed in her rabbit form, of course, and she went utterly unnoticed by everyone in London.

It was wonderful.

She could observe these odd unmagic people, and they never knew. And because they didn’t know, they didn’t judge her.

Bunny felt magnificent.

But, of course, good things couldn’t last for Bunny.

(Sometimes they drastically improve)

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There’d been a boy, around Bunny’s age, who caught sight of her during one of her jaunts around London. She was hiding half in a bush in Hyde Park, in her rabbit form, watching people, when she noticed him staring. He had wavy golden hair, smooth creamy skin, and wide, innocent, ocean-blue eyes. He was the prettiest thing Bunny had ever seen, so she’d stopped paying attention to anything but him, and stared right back.

The boy spoke, then, and his voice was smooth, low, and sweet. So sweet, in fact, that Bunny hadn’t noticed quite what he was saying until it was a second too late.

“Mum, why’s that bunny-rabbit wearing a dress?”

(Many people would think Bunny silly for wearing a dress in Rabbit form, but as her clothing remained during her transformations, she’d always felt most comfortable knowing she’d be dressed immediately upon re-transforming into her humanoid form.) 

The young blonde woman sitting besides the boy looked in the direction her son pointed and locked eyes with Bunny.

“I don’t believe it…”

The woman got up quickly then, and grabbed the boy’s hand. Bunny retreated deeply into the bush; hiding herself. 

“Follow it. Now, Alistair. You’re smaller than me.”

She could hear the boy coming close. Panicking, she opened a rabbit hole and disappeared into it, ensuring to close it behind her.

The last thing she heard from England was the boy shouting that she’d disappeared.

————————————-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That wasn’t the last she’d see of the mysterious ‘Alistair’, though. 

It took Bunny a long time to regain the courage to go back to London, but she just couldn’t stay away. About six months after the close call she had with Alistair, she decided to risk it again. This time, however, she was sure to wear all white so that no curious little boys would notice that she was an inexplicably clothed rabbit. 

Her plan didn’t exactly work.

Even though she’d gone to a new park this time, even though she wore white, and even though she scampered away whenever she caught a glimpse of blonde hair, he still found her.

“Please stop running away!” she heard him call. Bunny just ran faster.

“I know you!” He’d said. “You’re the rabbit Mum dreamed of!”

At that, Bunny had stopped. Someone had _dreamed_ of her? What did he mean?

The boy, Alistair, sat on the grass a few feet from Bunny- far enough away that she could escape if she needed to, and close enough that she could hear him- before he spoke again.

“Can you help me?” He asked.

“It’s my Mum, see, she had this dream as a girl. Well, she was eighteen, so I suppose she was an adult. But that's not important. She dreamed that she followed a rabbit just like you down his rabbit-hole, and found herself in a place called Wonderland. She had tea with a Hatter, and this mad Queen tried to kill her, but the nice Queen helped her slay the other Queen’s dragon… thing… and then she woke up. And she always thought she was crazy for how real the dream was to her… but it wasn’t a dream, was it? You’re proof it was real. She never even told me any of this before we saw you that day; she was so sure she was mad. You _have_ to tell me if you’re real.”

Alices were _not_ supposed to know about Wonderland at all, let alone if it was real. The Alice story only worked if the Alices did not know that Wonderland existed prior to going, or once they awoke from the magically-induced sleep they left Wonderland in. The shame spell that was cast on them kept them from speaking of their experiences to anyone, but most especially to their offspring. They weren’t to know that Bunny and her family were anything more than a stress-induced hallucination. These were Ever After’s rules, and they were very very serious.

This was very, very, bad.

And so, Bunny fled.

And Alistair followed.

Panicking, Bunny opened up a rabbit-hole to Wonderland, and threw herself down it. She was thankful none of the park's other occupants seemed to notice her or Alistair. She was not thankful that she wasn’t fast enough to close the rabbit-hole before Alistair threw himself down after her.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that fateful day where Alistair had followed her to Wonderland, they became best friends. Bunny had tried to force him back to England, and tried to cast a memory spell on him so he’d forget, but he outpaced her every time she’d attempted to do either. As annoyed as she’d been with how he thwarted her, she had been more impressed with his intelligence.

And so, now that Bunny finally had someone who loved puzzles and problems and discovery and talking as much as she did, she didn’t want him to leave, either. She, against her better judgement, promised Alistair that every weekend (every English weekend; not Wonderlandian one) she’d come to London to take him to Wonderland, tell him all about their roles in the Alice story (and that he was expected to play his role when he was eighteen, which included feigning shock at everything Wonderlandian), and take him exploring around Wonderland-- if he agreed to never speak to anyone but her there. Bunny didn’t want to know what would happen to either of them if anyone found out she’d been smuggling the current Alice in and out of Wonderland, so these terms were necessary. For once, she was grateful she had no real Wonderlandian friends she had to hide Alistair from.

Those weekends they spent exploring were the most fun either of them had ever had in their lives. Never did Bunny expect anything bad to come from them.

Eventually, their relationship changed. When they both were fourteen, Alistair had confessed that he hated keeping secrets from Bunny, and told her he loved her. She loved him back, of course, and their friendship graduated to romance. Alistair, like all Alices, was rather from 'here and there and everywhere', like Bunny herself. Bunny may not have fit in anywhere, but she fit with Alistair, who never had a place where he fit in either. They both quickly decided that they liked fitting in with each other more than fitting in in any place.

But of course, the good things never lasted for her.

That day when Greater Wonderland had found out that Grimm was closing the border from there to Ever After, Bunny and Alistair had just broken up from their three-year long relationship. Because, apparently, he loved her more than anyone; just not romantically. It had been like a punch in the gut to Bunny, and so she’d left Alistair in a clearing and run away. 

Hara March, Bunny’s cousin, had grabbed her arm as soon as she saw Bunny jogging along one of Wonderland’s streets, and running at full speed, had pulled Bunny with her across the Ever After border. Still distraught, Bunny hadn’t immediately thought to ask Hara what she’d taken her across the border for. As they had wandered through Ever After, she’d assumed it was just one of Hara’s mad schemes; or that they were there to have tea at the Mad Hatter’s shop in Ever After.

She didn’t realize Grimm had closed the borders due to the plague until it was too late, Alistair was trapped in Wonderland, and Bunny had been put into power-suppressing cuffs by Grimm that ensured she couldn’t open her portal back to her home.

She'd failed him. 

She'd failed herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	8. Of Lockes and Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunny was forcibly enrolled in Ever After High like every other Wonderlandian kid, and was assigned her cousin Hara as a roommate. Normally she'd be happy about being roomed with someone she knew well, but because she really needed to illegally get back into Wonderland to get Alistair out of Wonderland, her rooming situation left a lot to be desired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I feel like I could really use a beta reader for this as my pacing feels too quick. if you are interested, please comment.
> 
> Also Blanche isn't that bad, I swear. her and Bunny just... have issues.

Bunny was forcibly enrolled in Ever After High like every other Wonderlandian kid, and was assigned her cousin Hara as a roommate. Normally she'd be happy about being roomed with someone she knew well, but because she really needed to illegally get back into Wonderland to get Alistair _out_ of Wonderland, her rooming situation left a _lot_ to be desired. She'd been stuck with Hara for the past three months and had yet to figure out a way home that her cousin wouldn't pick up on. 

So, Bunny did what Bunny did best and avoided her problems. And her cousin.

Unfortunately, Hara, because she knew Bunny well, caught on quicker than a bandersnatch catches rockinghorse-flies. 

But Bunny was prepared.

Being the White Rabbit's daughter gave Bunny more advantages than just opening up totally nonsuspicious interworldly portals. She could also break any given person's favoured timepiece and make them incapable of showing up anywhere at the time they intended to. 

Meaning: Bunny was multiple steps ahead of Hara in more than one respect. 

Unfortunately, all she could handle now was breaking Hara’s watch. That just gave her privacy from her cousin; it didn't quite help her get home. The cuffs Grimm had saddled her with sucked all the Wonder out of her. And she relied on Wonder to create her rabbit holes.

Meaning: she was stuck in Ever After (and Alistair was stuck in Wonderland) until she could get these things off.

Her ability to manipulate time was quite useful, and had she not been drained of Wonder, Bunny would have moved herself backwards in time to bring the version of herself from three months ago (before she'd been cuffed) _forwards_ so that the Bunny who existed in Ever After had unmitigated power.

She'd always longed to push the boundaries of her time-based power, but she feared the possible repercussions. Messing with time was dangerous, her father had made sure she knew that. But seeing as her life would fall apart the second someone learned of Alistair, now would be an ideal time to experiment. Grimm would pay dearly with his time should she ever have the opportunity to make him.

So, Bunny had tried wriggling out of those awful cuffs the good old-fashioned way; slicked up to her elbows in the good butter (which thankfully Hara had brought with her- she certainly was the March Hare's daughter). Unfortunately, the butter, even if it was the best butter, must've had some crumbs in it or _something_ , because it didn't help one lick to get Bunny un-cuffed.

So, Bunny had opted to scheme for a bit. Certainly she could figure out a way home.

Turns out, she didn't need to. The solution wound up right in her lap.

Literally.

\---------------

Bunny hadn’t seen Blanche in years before she wound up in the Ever After High Chemythstry class Blanche was assistant teaching. She would’ve been okay never seeing her again, if she were honest. Bunny and Blanche had never quite gotten along, and likely never would. Neither of them cared enough to make an effort to befriend the other.

Which is why it shocked her when Blanche marched straight towards Bunny and stared her straight in the eye.

“Hello?” Bunny asked, miffed by Blanche’s brazen approach. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, actually, that’s why I’m here.” Bunny bristled at Blanche’s lack of greeting.

“I need to get back to Wonderland to get Chase. I don’t want this plague- whatever it is- hurting him. You have to open a rabbit hole home.”

“I don’t ‘have to’ do anything, Blanche. And seriously, how stupid do you think I am? I’m not going to risk expulsion or incrimination so you can go do your White Knight thing and save your brother.” Bunny restrained herself from mentioning that she couldn’t get back to Wonderland, anyway. Blanche probably would be a useful resource in figuring out how to get Bunny’s cuffs off, but working with her was a thankless task. 

And as much as Bunny appreciated Chase, she was more concerned with Alistair. And she wasn’t about to risk Blanche finding out about him on a dual trip back to Wonderland.

Blanche just huffed at that.

“Fine. Let my brother die, then. It’s clear where _your_ loyalties lie. Don’t think I’ll forget this when I’m Queen.”

Blanche spun on her heel and returned to the front of the Chemythstry classroom; her white skirts bouncing as she walked off. Bunny just scoffed at her dramatics. Blanche was a spoiled brat who hadn’t ever wanted for anything. Not the way Bunny had.

“Good Riddance.” Bunny muttered to herself.

“I didn’t quite catch that.” Bunny turned to find a pretty girl with long, yellow-blonde curls standing next to her. Recording her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch why you’re recording me.” Bunny was _not_ in the mood for this; whatever this was.

“Blondie Lockes.” the girl stuck out her hand. “I’m Ever After High’s most trusted reporter. I have a feeling that you’re just the right source to interview about the Wonderlandian Migration!”

“The… what?”

“The Wonderlandian Migration. You know, how all of you Wonderlandians collectively moved to Ever After? I coined the term; isn’t it just right?”

“We… didn’t really move here. We just got next to no warning that the border between here and Wonderland was going to close, and as Wonderland’s got that plague, we panicked and came here.”

“Yes, yes, I know! It’s such an inspiring story of bravery: how Ever After agreed to open its heart and its homes to the poor, helpless, people of Wonderland.”

“Yeah… agree to disagree.”

“I forgot to ask you your name! I need you to be on the record as the Wonderlandian perspective for my upcoming segment.” Blondie just barreled on like Bunny hadn’t even spoken.

“I’m Bunny Blanc. And I don’t want to go on the record. Hey, why don’t you try asking Blanche; she’s assisting in this class. I’m sure she’s got a lot to say.”

“Oh! Yes! Thank you! An adult perspective on this issue will look even better!” Bunny smiled. She'd let Blanche fend off the nosy EAH kids.

Blondie was oblivious to Bunny's schemes. She grasped Bunny’s wrists with excitement over her new interviewee, and Bunny's cuffs just… fell off into her lap.

Bunny stifled a gasp.

“Oh no! Your bracelets! I’m so sorry! Things that are closed just… fall apart around me; it’s a side effect of my story. Here, I’ll help you put them back on.” 

“No, no. It’s okay, Blondie, I totally understand. Hey, it’s been great talking to you, but I gotta run, okay?” Bunny darted out of the classroom, dodging professor Jack B. Nimble right as he arrived. A blonde girl in a red dress and a brunette dressed in pink practically threw themselves out of the way as she ran past.

“But… Class just started!” Blondie said to herself; reeling from Bunny’s quick departure.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Locking herself into one of the unimaginably tiny Ever After High bathroom stalls, Bunny breathed a sigh of relief. It was like it was meant to be. Finally, three months after this mess began, she had a chance to solve it. She hadn’t expected the first day of school to go well at all; let alone this way. Everything was going just right. 

Carefully, Bunny opened up the most unobtrusive rabbit hole she could while crammed in the toilet stall, and stepped through with her eyes closed..

When she opened her eyes again, she was in the clearing she’d left Alistair in during their untimely breakup. But he was long gone.

Looks like her burst of luck ran out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


	9. The Memory and the Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alistair awoke with a start; the cold, grimy, stone floor gritty under his cheek. Groaning, he sat up, shaking the memory off. He was eighteen years old now; trapped in the Queen of Hearts castle, but the memory had felt so real that he forgot, for a minute, that he wasn’t still a little boy curled in his mother’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry this is kinda late. 
> 
> minor cw for this chapter; alistair is recalling a conversation with his mother where she talks about thinking she's crazy, and due to self-doubt/her lack of faith in her mental health and her memory issues, she thinks alistair may have been conceived without her knowledge/consent. there's also mentions of her having been institutionalized. 
> 
> I did not mark the story with a r*pe warning bc that theme is only even *mentioned* in this chapter and no sexual abuse takes place at all in this story or is ever mentioned to have actually taken place/happened to a character in the past. 
> 
> spoiler: Alice wasn't r*ped, and alistair was conceived consensually in wonderland (they know that for sure once alistair follows bunny and discovers wonderland) but because Alice thought wonderland is a figment of her imagination, she thought she imagined the consensual encounter that let to alistair being conceived. and as she couldn't remember another scenario (one that had nothing to do with wonderland) that led to her pregnancy, assumed she must've been r*ped and based on that, she assumed her 'memories' of wonderland were a response to trauma. The real cause of this is the shame spell&memory spell ever after put on her, which basically magic gaslighting that gave her mental health issues.
> 
> Also, I have a tumblr now.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/monsters-and-mayhem-me  
> Can't promise there'll be much about the fic on there, but it'll at the very least have some fun mh/eah content!

_“Why did you want me to follow the rabbit girl, mum?”_

_Alistair Riddle was ten years old, and his curiosity grew with every passing day. It terrified Alice. She’d wanted nothing more for her son than normalcy. Sanity. Apparently, that was too much to hope for. She had always seemed to have awful luck._

_Alice sighed, and turned to face her son._

_“Don’t you find it fascinating that there was a rabbit wearing a dress, Alistair?”_

_“Well, yes… But I hardly expected you to. I didn’t even expect you to listen.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“If I’d said that at school I’d have been told off for lying, mum.”_

_Alice pinched the bridge of her nose and pushed the blonde hair out from her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to put Alistair in a place where he’d be belittled for his curiosity at all, but she had wanted him to be surrounded by people who, unlike her, could adequately teach Alistair what was and wasn’t real._

_Maybe if she’d had that kind of influence in her life, if her mother had paid her enough mind to discipline her or send her off to finishing school, she wouldn't have thought that rabbit hallucination was real all those years ago._

_Alistair's boarding school, for all of its faults, was good at beating the idea of reality into him. Or it should've been. Alistair's teachers often informed Alice that her son was 'difficult'; stuck in his belief that nothing was impossible, and prone to getting lost in his imagination. But Alice didn't have any better ideas than keeping him in school to help him become grounded in reality (she barely knew what was and wasn't real herself; an outside perspective was definitely necessary in Alistair's life). And as much as she loathed the fact that she was essentially trying to strip her son of all of the wonderful traits that made him himself, she needed to keep him safe and sane. Even if it meant he was consistently verbally abused at school. Her motherly instincts weren't as important as his safety._

_“I sent you to that school to keep you from turning out like me.” Alice said, gently taking her son’s hands._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I wanted you to be sane. School has a nasty way of beating the questions out of you; but knowing when not to ask questions will keep you safe from knowing what you shouldn't-- and therefore, it'll keep you sane.”_

_“I am sane, though. Besides, knowledge is power; isn’t it?”_

_“But what if you’re not? You know what they say about me, Alistair. And if you see what I do… then I don’t want to think of what that means. You mustn’t tell anyone of this- this- rabbit-sighting. They’ll lock you up.” Alice gave a dry chuckle then, and pulled her son closer to her side._

_“You’re lucky; they’ll take you more seriously in this world than me, at least. Even if you are mad. You’re lucky little boys are taught to seek adventure. They locked me up even though I never made a peep about dressed up rabbits, or talking mice and mad queens.”_

_“They’re not going to take you away again; are they mum?” He shivered. The year his mother had been institutionalized, and Alistair had been forced to spend an entire calendar year living at his boarding school, was the worst year of his life._

_“If they do, you’ll be safe at school.”_

_“No, I won’t.”_

_“You will. Now, that’s enough talk of rabbits in dresses. They’re not real. We must’ve been tricked by the light.” Alice’s gut twisted. She knew what she was saying must be true; and yet…_

_“You saw her too! Clear as I did! She was real!” Alistair was having none of it._

_“If that were true, then why did no one else see her?”_

_“Because no one else looks around! No one here likes journeys, they all like destinations. You love exploring, and so do I! It’s why we were in the park in the first place! She was real; no one else saw her because we were the only ones exploring; the others were passerbys.” Alistair’s face was red, and his eyes scrunched up; barely holding his tears at bay._

_“It simply doesn’t make sense, Alistair. We’re the minority; two people out of how many? And we were the only ones to see the rabbit.”_

_“Why won’t you listen to me?! WE SAW HER! And, as I’ve already said, there’s a pretty logical explanation for why we were the only ones to notice her. Everyone else has their heads crammed up their--”_

_“Alistair!”_

_“Sorry, mum.” Alice just sighed at that._

_“I shouldn’t curse in front of you as often as I do, clearly. I knew that wouldn’t end well. I’ve been a horrid mother.”_

_“No you haven’t, mum. I know it can’t have been easy raising me by yourself.”_

_“Oh, shush. You could never be difficult, Alistair. You’re the most clever little boy I could’ve hoped for.”_

_Alice and Alistair fell into a comfortable silence then, but the uncomfortable sting of guilt and doubt was still curdling in Alice’s gut. Alistair was so sure of what he saw... and so disappointed Alice wouldn't entertain his questions. Alice knew that feeling well. She had a sudden urge to explain her hallucinations to him. But he was so young... He'd always been mature, but Alice didn't want to strip him of his innocence. He deserved to know, though. He deserved to know, if he was seeing things as well. He deserved to know the pain being mad could cause._

_And, if Alice were honest, she knew all too well that Alistair was right in implying that having answers was better than being ignorant to certain things. She owed him the answers had, at least. And she owed herself the relief that would come with sharing the burden of her secrets._

_“Alistair?” She didn't know how to broach the topic, but inviting him to ask questions couldn't hurt. It'd be easier for Alice to answer his questions than to monologue, too._

_“Yes?”_

_“You’ve never asked about your father.” She didn't know what to tell him. But he was so, so, curious; and yet he'd never inquired about why he only had Alice as a parent._

_“You’ve never mentioned him. I didn’t want to pry...”_

_“I don’t know who he is.”_

_“...What do you mean?”_

_“I mean, when I was eighteen, I thought I fell down a rabbit hole. I followed a rabbit, just like the one we saw. Though he wore a waistcoat; not a dress.”_

_“You had me when you were eighteen, right?”_

_“Yes. I went… missing, for a day or so. I thought I was in a place called Wonderland. I followed that white rabbit down the rabbit hole, ate and drank all sorts of magical things, grew, shrunk, and grew some more. I met a mad hatter, an even more mad hare, and a sleepy little dormouse. I painted white roses red, and this mad Queen, the Queen of Hearts, called for my beheading.”_

_“The Queen of Hearts? Like in a card deck?”_

_“Yes, Alistair. I told you, it’s mad. And that’s not even all of it.” Alice paused then, collecting her hazy memories._

_“Then, I awoke beneath a tree here in London, and realized I had dreamt it all-- before, the next day, touching a mirror and falling right through it. Then, I was belittled by talking flowers, and the Red Queen- yes, like in the chess set- calling for my head and the White Queen helping me slay this creature… the Jabberwock, she called it. I awoke at home again after that.”_

_“But you said this didn’t happen… what has it got to do with my father?”_

_“I, when I was in that garden with all those cruel flowers, met a boy. He was the Jack of Hearts, he said. And he had been in Chess, where I was, on an errand. He was the first person in Wonderland who had been kind to me; but he said he couldn’t talk to me. I wouldn’t stand for that, especially as he gave me no reason. So, I followed him. And we talked, and joked, and everything was… nice. I told him how no one was kind back home; how they called me odd. I told him how he was the first person who hadn’t been cruel in Wonderland. He understood. He told me I would be leaving soon, and one thing led to another…”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“...I don’t know how to explain without traumatizing you.” Alice awkwardly shifted on the couch._

_“I guess, the best way to explain would be that, because we thought we were in love, and he thought I was leaving, we decided to do... a ritual I can’t explain yet; to bond us. An expression of love. This ritual, sometimes, leads to love changing form; creating a child. I thought it was what created you.”_

_Alistair frowned a bit; confused. But he didn’t press the issue._

_“So my father is the Jack of Hearts? And he’s in Wonderland?”_

_“That would be true; were Wonderland real… But it’s not. And because it's not, it means I don't really know anything about how you came to be or who your father is. I think… because I don’t know who your father is, or who I really did that ritual with, I fabricated these Wonderland memories to make myself feel better.”_

_“Is the ritual sacred or something?”_

_“_ Yes _. It is very sacred. You must never,_ ever _, let anyone do anything to you that you don’t want them to without you consent._ Especially _that.”_

_“I… okay?”_

_“Good. Anyway. Wonderland isn’t real. I made it up to deal with my… disappointment surrounding the circumstances of your conception.”_

_“But… I saw the rabbit too! What if it is real? I know it doesn’t make sense… but wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were real? And my dad lived there?”_

_“I… yes. It would be. It’d make many things better if it were real.”_

_“Then, why don’t we try to prove it is? It’s a lot easier to prove something is real than to prove it isn’t.”_

_“What do you mean, Alistair?”_

_“I mean, let’s go to different parks- the rabbit looked scared, so I doubt she’ll go back to Hyde park again- and look for her. Maybe I can follow her to Wonderland. And find my dad.”_

_“Alistair…”_

_“Please, mum?”_

_“There’s a much bigger chance that Wonderland doesn’t exist than there’s a chance that it does.”_

_“Still; doesn’t hurt to explore!”_

_Seeing the little rabbit, and Alistair having seen it too, had awoken something in Alice. That old, manic, feeling of needing to explore was stirring again. She'd tried so hard to suppress it. She'd tried so hard to suppress herself. And she had been miserable. If there was a chance she wasn't crazy; that she was right... well, she couldn't ignore that possibility. She owed it to Alistair to investigate the rabbit. He didn't deserve to hide parts of himself. He didn't deserve to think that some of the best parts of his life were imaginary if they weren't. He deserved to be happy. And so did she._

_“I don’t want you to be obsessed with this. Obsessions get you locked in asylums.”_

_“I… won’t? I won’t even bring it up until it’s time to choose what park to go to or anything. I’ll mention it once a week, max.”_

_“I… alright. I don’t want you to be disappointed if we never find her again. Okay, Alistair?”_

_“Okay, mum!”_

_"And Alistair?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"What do you say we find you a new school?"_

_The look on his face told Alice definitively that she'd made the right choice._

\----------------------------

Alistair awoke with a start; the cold, grimy, stone floor gritty under his cheek. Groaning, he sat up, shaking the memory off. He was eighteen years old now; trapped in the Queen of Hearts castle, but the memory had felt so real that he forgot, for a minute, that he wasn’t still a little boy curled in his mother’s arms.

His _mother._ He wondered if she knew what was happening. She knew he was in Wonderland, he knew that for certain. He always told her where he was going before he left, and his fateful departure three months ago had been no different. But since he’d been here through his eighteenth birthday, he wondered if Alice had realized he was trapped, or simply assumed he was enacting her story now. He couldn’t blame her if she’d assumed that he was simply being the current Alice and all was well, but it meant that no one was looking for him since he’d driven Bunny away; the only person who knew who he was in Wonderland. It meant his chances of dying a prisoner of the Queen of Hearts was high.

Bunny had told him about the land called Ever After; the land that forced Wonderland to reenact the Alice tale generation after generation. She had said princesses were often forced to be prisoners of the villains of their tales, and that the girls were wont to wait around for their princes to save them in any situation, as that’s what their story guaranteed would happen. Alistair had always thought it was ridiculous of them to give up their autonomy and wait for someone else to save them; but now he both understood and envied them.

A guaranteed savior sounded really good right about now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. please leave comments; they fuel my soul. also, please point out spelling/grammar errors.


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